For many people, holidays need to be more than just time spent lounging in the sunshine next to a pool. At a luxurious development in Indian Wells, Calif., members have no shortage of ways to fill their days.

“We’ve been blessed … with people who enjoy each other and have a lot of fun here,” says Phil Smith, president of Coachella Valley for Sunrise Co., developer of Toscana Country Club near Palm Springs.

This project combines a scenic golf course with upscale residences and a long list of recreation clubs.

Upon build-out, the development will have about 650 homes and currently 363 have been sold. And it has garnered strong interest from Canadians.

“There is a lot of great natural beauty and people enjoy that and there are numerous social activities that people are involved in. They call it camp Toscana,” says Smith, adding the active Canadian contingent are nicknamed Camp TosCanada.

Bill and Maureen MacDonald of DeWinton, south of Calgary, are among the first Canadians to buy a second home at Toscana and they make the most of their days away from frosty Alberta winters.

“Whenever members express an interest in doing something that they would find from a wellness perspective the club just embraces that,” says Bill. He’s now retired, but was once the senior vice-president of operations for Shaw Communications.

“They bring in really good people with expertise in these areas and provide that to the membership.” Toscana has clubs for cycling and hiking along with spa and health club facilities that Bill calls, “absolutely world class.”

“You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy Toscana or the valley, it fulfills so many other areas as far as your wants and needs in retirement,” adds Bill.

But the draw of Toscana’s two 18-hole golf courses wasn’t lost on the MacDonalds. The course was planned by professional golf icon Jack Nicklaus.

“I’m a very avid golfer keen on all aspects of golf, the history and everything else,” says Bill.

“So to have Jack Nicklaus design the course and actively participate on site … he spent a lot of time with us members, telling us why he designed it a certain way and what his intentions were.

“We went out as members and he played a round and explained his philosophy on why he designed it the way he did.”

Smith says the course was designed for a range of skill levels and calls it “a visually beautiful golf course.”

“Jack is a very much attuned to strategy in his golf design so the courses are challenging and yet for someone who lives here or spends a lot of time here they are great club courses that people enjoy playing frequently,” says Smith. “It’s not a course where you come out and feel like you’ve been beat up after you played it. So it’s challenging but fun to play.”

Another benefit to Toscana is what it offers families, says Bill, adding he and Maureen enjoy hosting their children and grandchildren.

“Our grandchildren were very young when we bought there and they are now 12 and nine,” says Bill.

“What the club does for them with Easter egg hunts and fishing derbies, it becomes a thing where you so often see grandparents and their children’s children, it’s heartwarming to share that with your family.”

The MacDonalds are often at their place in Toscana from about November to early May. Their home has three bedroom and is just under 5,000 square feet. It also has a guest house and a pool.

“It is truly magnificent. We’re extremely happy with it,” says Bill.

The home has a view of the golf course and is on the north end of the property.

They picked the lot location because it “has a lot more shade at the pool, so the children can be out of the sun by just taking a couple of steps,” adds Bill.

Homes at Toscana range from 2,400 to 5,500 square feet. Most of the homes have an open concept floor plan with a “real indoor-outdoor feeling,” says Smith.

“They have large sliding glass doors that open out to the patios and golf course beyond.”

“It doesn’t feel like a traditional real estate subdivision, but a custom home community.”

THE BUYERS

Bill and Maureen MacDonald

Ages: A couple in their 60s.

Background: The couple from DeWinton, Alta. were among the first Canadians to buy a vacation get-away at Toscana. Bill was once the vice-president of operations for Shaw Communications. When deciding where to buy, the place they chose had to work well for their grandkids. They like that the club hosts a number of family-friendly events such as Easter egg hunts and fishing derbies. The couple is active in the clubs at Toscana, and golf at the courses designed by Jack Nicklaus.

IN SHORT

Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, part of sun-soaked Coachella Valley in Southern California. The city is noted for hosting major tennis events such as the BNP Paribas Open. Its hot dry climate includes less than 150 millimetres of rain annually. The area is near the San Bernardino, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto and the Little San Bernardino mountain ranges. For more information, visit indianwells.com

NEED TO KNOW

Project: Toscana Country Club is a gated community in Indian Wells, Calif. featuring two 18-hole golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus.

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